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State Govt. should publish the detailed list of beneficiaries listed under the NFSA scheme- Union Minister Pradhan

Bhubaneswar : The verbal duel between BJD and the BJP continued on Sunday following the BJD leaders’ allegations of reduction of kerosene quota by the Centre to the State. Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan came down heavily on the State Government over its decision to protest the reduction in the quota. Speaking to the media here, Pradhan alleged that the State’s Ministers are promoting black-marketing. For which the State is losing revenue.

Pradhan said, “The list of kerosene sub-dealers has been displayed on the website, but there is no information about the beneficiaries. The Ministers are taking donations from the sub-dealers. If they have the guts then they should publish the detailed list of beneficiaries listed under the NFSA scheme,” he said. Meanwhile, BJD spokesperson Pratap Keshari Deb said the Union Minister’s allegations are not based on facts and truth. “If the Centre is so concerned about the revenue loss then they should stop the kerosene quota and that would stop black-marketing. The Centre appoints kerosene wholesale dealers and all the information about that goes to its Ministry,”

Taking potshots at Pradhan, Deb also said that the Union Minister must have the idea of how much oil goes from depots. “A responsible Minister like Pradhan should not make irresponsible comments,” he remarked. Earlier on Saturday, the BJD announced to hold State-wide protests over the decline in the kerosene quota to Odisha.

The BJD alleged that for the last four years, the State’ kerosene quota is being reduced, due to which people in the remote regions are suffering. But the BJP’s argument is that the kerosene quota has been reduced due to the increasing electricity and LPG connections in the State.